DE69502841T2 - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning by applying cleaning fluid and by sucking away the used fluid.

Document EP 0 422 977 A1 by the same inventor describes a device for removing contaminated water during the cleaning of certain surfaces. In a specific embodiment, the squeegee has a stepped cutout along one of the edges of its working end and it has at least one suction channel opening into a part of the body of the squeegee which is arranged perpendicular to this stepped cutout.

In a special embodiment, the known device has a cleaning fluid container which supplies an application element, such as a brush, via a series of small channels, and a container for dirty cleaning fluid which is intended to collect the dirty cleaning fluid after it has been sucked out via a hose pump with rollers. The arrangement of the elements described above is mounted inside a housing which has a bushing which is intended to receive a handling handle or a handle.

The known device is generally satisfactory for intensive applications, but it is not very convenient for domestic use for the following reasons: ments: the casing housing a peristaltic pump with rollers and its drive motor, the two tanks and the necessary connecting pipes represent a considerable weight, so that handling or moving on surfaces with differences in height, such as stairs, is relatively difficult; on the other hand, due to the considerable weight of the device, which is in frictional contact with the ground, the effort required for moving it using the handle is considerable.

The document DE 24 24 218 A1 describes a cleaning device for windows, facades, planks or the like, which has a working head arranged at one end of a hollow shaft, wherein said working head has means for supplying clean liquid, means for distributing said liquid on the surface to be cleaned and a cleaning squeegee. A tubularly enclosed space in the shape of the hollow shaft contains a cleaning liquid container which is connected to said means for supplying cleaning liquid.

This arrangement generally proves to be satisfactory, but it requires regularly squeezing a sponge to absorb the liquid into a receptacle.

The invention aims to eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a new portable, convenient to use and economically producible cleaning device.

The invention relates to a device for cleaning planks, floors, tiles, walls or similar flat surfaces by applying cleaning liquid and sucking away the used liquid, of the type comprising in combination: a working head or a cleaning member with means for supplying cleaning liquid; means for distributing said liquid on the surface to be cleaned and a cleaning squeegee; a tubularly enclosed space in the form of a hollow stem which carries a cleaning liquid container connected to said means for supplying cleaning liquid; and a handle, characterized in that the device additionally comprises a used liquid container arranged at least partially in said tubularly enclosed space and means for placing said used liquid container under negative pressure such that the used liquid is sucked out through a suction opening provided on the squeegee and a used liquid suction line.

According to other features of the invention:

- the used liquid container is formed by sealingly assembling the working head or the cleaning device and the interior of the lower part of the tubular enclosed space,

- the used liquid container is made in one piece and has a through-opening for a used liquid suction line,

- the used liquid container has a T-shaped design and a lateral extension at its base with a drain plug,

- the end of the suction line through which the used liquid flows into the used liquid container and the end of the air intake nozzle through which the said container is placed under negative pressure are arranged substantially on the same axis and axially spaced in such a way that any suction of the used liquid through the air intake nozzle is prevented,

- the cleaning fluid container is closed by a handle,

- the handle carries the means for pressurising the used fluid container,

- the handle is located at the upper end of the cleaning fluid container, while the means for creating a vacuum are located between the cleaning fluid container container and the used liquid container,

- a transverse bulkhead is provided between the nozzle for placing the used liquid container under negative pressure and the suction line in such a way that a deflection cap is formed to prevent the used liquid from being sucked out into the nozzle for placing the used liquid under negative pressure,

- the nozzle for suction and for placing the used fluid container under negative pressure has a filter for retaining dust and dirt.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the tubularly enclosed space has two compartments arranged one above the other, which are sealed against each other, wherein a lower compartment forms the used liquid container, an upper compartment forms the cleaning liquid container, the air intake nozzle axially passes through the cleaning liquid container and is connected outside of the latter to the vacuum means carried by the handle.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the tubularly enclosed space has three compartments: a lower compartment forms the used fluid container, a middle compartment forms the receptacle for the vacuum means and an upper compartment forms the cleaning fluid container, the handle being removably mounted in such a way that it forms a refill opening closure for the cleaning fluid container.

The invention will be better understood from the description given below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 schematically shows an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention,

Fig. 2 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a cleaning element of the device according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a central part of the device according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a head of the device according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 schematically shows an exploded plan view of a second embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 6 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the cleaning element of the device according to Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 shows schematically a longitudinal section of the used liquid suction line, the air suction nozzle and the vacuum means of the device according to Figs. 5 and 6 in their operating position,

Fig. 8 schematically represents a longitudinal section of the means for recharging the electric batteries of the device according to Figs. 5 to 7,

Fig. 9 schematically shows an enlarged detailed sectional view of the closure means of the supply line for the cleaning liquid for the device according to Figs. 5 to 8,

Fig. 10 schematically shows a detailed view of the push button shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a device according to the invention, designated overall by the reference numeral 1, is specifically intended for cleaning large smooth surfaces, for example floors or tiles.

The device 1 has a cleaning element 2, a central part 3 and a handle 4, which due to their design and suitable sealing connections can be plugged into one another in a sealing manner.

The cleaning member 2 comprises a one-piece squeegee 5 made of elastomer, rubber or similar material. The squeegee 5 has a shape 6 with at least one central channel 7 which communicates through an attachment 8 with a suction line 9 for used liquid floating on the floor.

The cleaning member 2 preferably has a holder 10 for the doctor blade 5 such that replacement is facilitated.

Preferably, provision is made for a removable applicator 11 of the brush, porous shoe, sponge shoe or similar type with an inclination substantially symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal median plane L of the cleaning member 2. The applicator 11 is used to uniformly apply the clean liquid which is released through at least one central channel for the supply of clean liquid which releases the clean liquid substantially in the longitudinal median plane L via an opening 12a.

The cleaning element 2 has essentially a T-shape, where the arm 14 corresponds to a line for sealing connection with the lower part of the middle part 3. The sealing is ensured by sealing rings 15a, 15b, which are arranged in grooves 16a, 16b, and the locking is ensured by a locking button 17, which can be inserted by simply pressing it with a finger.

The cleaning element 2 is hollow and has a closure 18 for emptying the used liquid, so that after the sealing assembly of the cleaning element 2 with the central part 3, the interior 19 of the cleaning element together with the interior 20 of the base of the central part 3 form a used liquid ity extraction container.

The container 19 to 20 thus formed receives the used liquid via the line 9 opening therein, the suction resulting from a negative pressure which is generated via a nozzle 21 for setting the negative pressure, which is positively connected to the middle part 3 of the device.

The middle part 3 has two annular sealing plugs 22 and 23 which are arranged between the tubular outer wall 24, which has a rectangular cross-section with rounded edges, an elliptical or similar cross-section, and the aforementioned vacuum nozzle 21.

The plugs 22, 23 delimit between them a cleaning liquid container, which is intended to be supplied by means of a refill cap 26. The container 25 integrated in the central part 3 in the form of a handle is separated from the container 20 by the plug 22, which is fixed in place, for example, by gluing, thermal welding or a similar method, and communicates with the line 12 for supplying cleaning liquid, with the interposition of a sewer 26a for crossing the plug 22 and for communicating with the sewer 12 for supplying the clean cleaning liquid.

For this purpose, it is provided that corresponding configurations of the sewerage system 26a and the sewerage system 12 ensure that the sewerage systems engage tightly with one another when the middle part 3 is assembled with the cleaning element 2.

A closure 27, mounted on an elastic system 28, which can be remotely actuated by a rod 29 or an analogous mechanical actuation means, closes the upper end of the channel 26a. The actuation 29 acts by being supported on the end of an elastic arm, whereby it is in a basic position closes the access to the sewer 26a and in position position by pressure on the base of the rod 29 lifts the closure 27 and supplies the sewer 26a.

The rod 29, which is slidably mounted in the central part 3 and passes through the upper plug 23, has an upper end 29a which is fitted together with and cooperates with an actuating member 30 which is slidably enclosed in the head 4 of the device according to the invention.

The head 4 has a flared shape that forms a housing 31 in which a bell-shaped part 32 is mounted, which forms the head for a suction turbine 33 that is suitable for generating a negative pressure in the used liquid suction container 20 via the nozzle 21 and for displacing the sucked-in air to the outside through suitable openings 34.

The turbine 33 is rotated by a small electric motor 35 arranged coaxially above the turbine 33; the electric motor 35 is powered by a set of batteries 36 connected in series with a power switch 37 and rechargeable by means of a coaxial plug 38.

The activation of the actuating element 30 is effected by means of a sliding button 39, while the mechanical fastening of the head 4 on the central part 3 results from the engagement of a push button 40 in a corresponding recess in the wall 24 of the central part.

This functional arrangement allows the device according to the invention to be dismantled into three separately exchangeable modules:

- the first module 2 or cleaning element, which includes all wearing parts, such as the doctor blade 5, the application element 11, which are in contact with the Surfaces are standing,

- the second module 3 or the central part, which serves as a container for the clean liquid and as a receptacle for the contaminated liquid and which has dimensions corresponding to those of the handle in state-of-the-art devices,

- the third module 4 or the head, which serves as a handle and contains all the actuation and power supply means: the vacuum source, the actuation of the cleaning fluid supply, the electric motor and the batteries.

It can be seen in the first embodiment that the device, when assembled, comprises a substantially tubular enclosure comprising two compartments arranged one above the other and sealed against one another, namely the used liquid container 19 to 20 in direct contact with the cleaning head 5 and the cleaning liquid container 25 through which the air suction nozzle 21 passes, the latter being connected at the top to vacuum means 32 to 36 carried by the handle 4. It can also be seen that in the used liquid container 19 to 20 the ends of the used liquid suction line 9 and of the suction nozzle 21 are arranged substantially on the same vertical axis and are axially spaced apart. They thus ensure that the liquid sucked through the line 9 does not run the risk of penetrating into the nozzle 21. On the other hand, the height of the pipe 9 inside the container 19 to 20 is sufficient to give the device a collection capacity corresponding to the surface of a part to be cleaned.

If the used liquid exceeds the upper level of line 9, it acts as an overflow and indicates to the operator that he must empty the container 19 to 20.

Figures 5 to 10 show a second embodiment of the invention. The parts that have the same functions as in the previous embodiment have the same reference numerals.

According to the second embodiment, the tubularly enclosed space of the device 1 is divided into three compartments, which build on each other vertically: the lower compartment forms the used liquid container 19 to 20, the middle compartment 41 forms the receptacle for the vacuum medium and the upper compartment forms the cleaning liquid container 25.

In the example shown, this assembly is blown out of plastic as a single piece, the central compartment 1 being obtained by inserting and butt-welding two partitions, as can be seen specifically in Fig. 6. However, in a variant, the three compartments can be formed by separate elements which can be fitted together in a sealing manner in a manner analogous to the previous embodiment.

As in the previous embodiment, the used liquid container has a lateral extension 19 at its base provided with a drain cap 18, so as to give the device the basic appearance of a classic household broom.

However, this adjustment is not essential and the lateral expansion could be completely suppressed, the device then being of uniform cross-section, practically from the base of the handle to the end of the used fluid container.

The bottom of the extension 19 has a central opening for the passage of the suction line 9 and, coming from the material, two lugs 42 for locking into the cleaning head 43, which carries the squeegee 5 and the application means for the cleaning liquid, which here are again in the form of brush tufts 11 (Fig. 7). given are.

On the lateral surfaces of the device, two external pipes 44, 45 are arranged, coming out of the material, which are diametrically opposite one another with respect to the vertical central axis of the device. The pipe 44 is intended to supply the cleaning liquid from the tank 25 to the supply opening 45 at the lower end of the tank 19 by gravity. For this purpose, a drain is provided, essentially at the base level of the tank 25, in direct communication (not shown) between the tank 25 and the pipe 44. A flexible cable 47 is passed through the interior of the pipe 44, which extends over the entire height of the device and whose lower end is provided with a conical plug 48 (Fig. 9) which cooperates with the opening 46. The upper end of the flexible cable 49 enters, above the container 25, the space provided between the external wall of the device and the filling neck 50 of the container 25, where it is supported by return spring means to keep the plug 48 in the position of closing the opening 46. In operation, the movement for opening the opening 46 is triggered by sliding the button 30 (Fig. 10) which forms the closure cap which is sliding at the level of the handle 4 on one side of the device. To allow the end 49 of the cable 44 to pass into its interior space, an opening (not shown) is made in the pipe 44 at the level of this space.

The line 45, diametrically opposite the line 44, is equipped in the same way with a flexible cable 51 which opens into the central compartment 41 to actuate the electric switch of the motor 35. In a similar way to the cable 46, the cable 51 is supported at its upper end by return spring means and is actuated by a button 30 formed symmetrically to the previous one.

It will be understood that the line 45 can be broken off below the switch 37. In the example shown, however, it is extended to the lower end of the device for reasons of aesthetic balance.

The central compartment 41, which houses the motor 35, the turbine 33 and the batteries 36, is closed by a removable cap 52, which is provided with air outlets 34 for air sucked in by the turbine 33. The compartment 41 has air outlets 34 symmetrically to those of the cap 52 in the same way.

While in the previous embodiment, inside the used liquid container 19 to 20, the nozzle 21 and the line 9 are arranged with a small distance between their vertical axes of symmetry, in the present embodiment they are aligned on the same axis. As in the previous example, the ends of the line 9 and the nozzle are axially spaced by a clearance that allows the used liquid to fall back into the container 19 to 20 along the line 9 without risk of penetrating the nozzle 21.

According to a variant embodiment shown in the second embodiment, but which is also applicable to the previous example, the end of the nozzle 21 with respect to the line 9 is covered by a transverse bulkhead 53 which is connected to the nozzle by means of tabs.

The bulkhead 53 is of such a larger cross-section than the nozzle that it forms a deflection cap which prevents the liquid from entering the nozzle in the event that the operator lifts the device, for example because he wants to replace the squeegee 5 or the brush 11.

In a variant, the arrangement can be realized by a bulkhead that closes the end of the nozzle 21, with radial openings being provided in the immediate vicinity of the bulkhead.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the nozzle 21 accommodates a bottle brush 54, the bristles of which point into the openings at the end of the nozzle, with the handle of the bottle brush directed towards the turbine 33.

This bottle brush 54 has two functions. Firstly, when it is arranged in the nozzle 21, it prevents coarse dirt that is sucked in by the negative pressure (e.g. cigarette filters and the like) from entering the nozzle 21.

On the other hand, when the bottle brush is pulled out of the nozzle, it serves to clean the pipe 9, which must be completely clean and smooth so that any deposits do not form obstacles when sucking out the used water.

In order to allow access to the bottle brush 54, in this embodiment it is provided that the arrangement of motor 35 to turbine 33 is mounted in a removable manner in the central part 41. If this variant is to be applied to the previous embodiment, it is sufficient to provide that the bulkhead 53 is attached, if necessary removably, to the end of the nozzle 21.

Fig. 8 illustrates the means for recharging the batteries of the device in the embodiment of Fig. 5. For this purpose, a recess 55 is provided in the wall of the cap 51, which is provided with a coaxial connector 38. The recess allows the entire device assembly to be plugged into a set 56 which is fixed to a wall M by a screw 57 and connected to the power supply by a power cord 58. The connection will then be equipped with a conventional transformer (not shown).

Claims (10)

1. Device for cleaning planks, floors, tiles, walls or similar flat surfaces by applying cleaning liquid and sucking away the used liquid of the type comprising in combination: a working head (2) or a cleaning member with means for supplying cleaning liquid; means for distributing said liquid on the surface to be cleaned and a cleaning squeegee; a tubularly enclosed space in the form of a hollow stem which receives a cleaning liquid container connected to said means (12) for supplying cleaning liquid; and a handle, characterized in that the device additionally has a used liquid container (19 to 20) arranged at least partially in said tubularly enclosed space and means for placing said used liquid container under negative pressure in such a way that the used liquid is sucked out through a suction opening provided on the doctor blade and a used liquid suction line. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the used liquid container (19 to 20) is formed by sealingly assembling the working head or the cleaning element (2) and the inner region (20) of the lower part of the tubularly enclosed space (3). 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the used liquid container (19 to 20) is formed in one piece (Fig. 5) and has a through-opening for a used liquid suction line. 4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the used liquid container (19 to 20) has a T-shaped design and at its base a lateral extension (19) provided with a drain closure (18). 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end of the suction line (9), through which the used liquid flows into the used liquid container, and the end of the air intake nozzle (21), through which the said container is placed under negative pressure, are arranged substantially in one axis and axially spaced apart in such a way that any suction of the used liquid through the air intake nozzle (21) is prevented. 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning fluid container is closed by a handle. 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the handle carries the means for placing the used liquid container under negative pressure. 8. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the handle is arranged at the upper end of the cleaning liquid container, while the means for applying negative pressure are arranged between the cleaning liquid container and the used liquid container. 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a transverse bulkhead is provided between the connector for placing the used liquid container under negative pressure and the suction line in such a way that a deflection cap is formed to prevent the used liquid from being sucked out into the connector for placing the used liquid under negative pressure. 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nozzle for suction and placing the used fluid container under negative pressure has a filter to retain dust and dirt.